Laundry agent dispenser for agitator washers

ABSTRACT

A dispenser mounted on the center post of an automatic washing machine for dispensing a granulated or powdered laundering agent automatically during a wash cycle subsequent to an initial presoak cycle of any duration. The dispenser utilizes the flow of the recirculating water to expel the detergent stored therein and can be used in conjunction with or as part of a pan filter.

United States Patent Wasernann 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] LAUNDRY AGENT DISPENSER FOR 3,142,165 7/1964 McMillan ..168/171 A AGITATOR WASHERS 3,359,764 12/1967 Faust ..68/17 A X 72 I 1 nventor A Wasemann, Mansfield, Examiner waker A Scheel Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe Asslgneei Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Attorney-F. H. Henson, E. C. Arenz and F. A.

Pittsburgh, Pa. winans [22] Filed: Oct; 8, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 79,181

4 A dispenser mounted on the center post of an automatic washing machine for dispensing a granulated or [52] US. Cl. ..68/17 A, 68/18 FA powdered laundering agent t atically during a wash y l Subsequent to an p cycle f 58 Field of Search ..68/17 A, 17 R, 18 F any duration The dispenser utilizes the flow of the recirculating water to expel the detergent stored [56] References Cited therein and can be used in conjunction with or as part UNITED STATES PATENTS of a p filter- 3,370,444 2/1968 Wolters ..68/17 A X 8 Clains, 3 Drawing Figures PATENT ED "III 3 i972 SHEU 3 BF 3 LAUNDRY AGENT DISPENSER FOR AGITATOR WASHERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dispenser apparatus for automatic washing machines having an agitator mechanism and more particularly to such a dispenser which will automatically add a granulated laundering soap or detergent during the wash cycle and subsequent to a pre-soak cycle of the machine.

2. Description of the Prior Art Dispensers for laundering aids, such as a liquid fabric softener, generally associated with the center post agitator of a vertical axis washing machine are well known in the art. In such machines it is common to have the perforate clothes retaining tub and agitator rotate together at a relatively high speed during centrifugal extraction of the water and most additive dispensers depend on this operation to force the additive from a storage compartment to be deposited in the tub below. Exemplary of such a dispenser is US. Pat. No. 2,868,006.

Another type of dispenser utilizes water recirculated during the wash portion of the cycle, causing it to enter a storage compartment at the proper time during the cycle and flush the laundering agent stored therein to the clothes containing tub. Exemplary of such type is US. Pat. No. 3,142,165.

It is well recognized that the first of the above-mentioned dispensers is the simplest and least expensive; however, it has been found to be quite ineffective when a dry powder or granulated additive is used whereas the second type of dispenser is effective with such powdered additive but requires a rather complex water handling system, i.e., hoses, connectors, valves, etc., to control the entry of water into the storage compartment at the proper time in the cycle.

The present invention provides a dispenser for adding generally dry powdered detergent or soap by flushing with the recirculated water without the complex centrifugal actuated diverter valve previously associated with the above dispenser and further provides a dispenser which can be used in conjunction with a well known pan filter and liquid additive dispenser of the above referred to type, thus making the adding of the proper wash agent at the proper time during the cycle completely automatic.

The dispenser of the present invention finds its greatest utility in storing and dispensing a detergent in an automatic washing machine having a presoak cycle, generally comprising a short period of agitation and water recirculation followed by a quiescent period of any desired length for allowing the clothes to soak and then centrifugal extraction of the soak water before the normal washing cycle is initiated at which time the de tergent from the dispenser is automatically added to the wash water.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is generally embodied by an annular trough which has means for either mounting it on an agitator mounted filter or directly to the agitator structure itself. The trough has opposed upstanding walls forming a storage compartment with one of the walls spaced above the base a short distance. Another upover the adjacent short wall to drop to the clothes-containing tub.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an automatic washing machine with parts broken away to show the interiorly mounted dispenser of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the dispenser of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the dispenser of the present invention is shown in conjunction with a well known center-post agitator automatic washing machine 10 having an outer cabinet 12 with a door 14 hingedly attached thereto for covering the access opening generally defined by the top wall 16 of the cabinet. An imperforate non-rotatable outer tub 18 is pivotally supported within the cabinet 14 on a plurality of depending struts 20 (only one being shown) connecting tub 18 to a dome-shaped support surface 22 which engages a similar dome shaped surface 24 formed in the base 26 of cabinet 14.

A latitudinal strip of friction material 27 is interposed between the two mating dome surfaces 22 and 24 to allow relative movement between them and tension springs 28 are attached by any well known means between the struts 20 and base 26 to maintain tub 18 in a generally centered upright position.

A housing 30 containing a well known transmission is securely attached to the bottom of tub 18 as by bolts 32, while the opposite end of the housing 30 is supported on legs 34 attached to the struts 20 generally midway along their length.

A pair of concentric shafts 36 and 38 extend vertically from the upper end of the transmission housing 30 and are selectively driven by the transmission therein in a well known manner. The outer shaft 36 is keyed to an inner tub 40 that is rotatively supported within the outer tub 18 and which is open at the top for receiving clothes therein through access door 14 in the cabinet 12. Inner tub 40 is also perforated so as to be in fluid communication with the outer tub 18.

The inner shaft 38 is keyed to an agitator structure 42 generally comprising an upright center post 44 with vanes or blades 46 extending outwardly therefrom at the lower portion and terminating at the bottom in a flared skirt section 48 adjacent the bottom of the inner tub 40. A cap, not shown, is generally threadably connected to the top of inner shaft 38 to hold the agitator structure 42 on the inner shaft 38.

A drive shaft 52 extends from the lower end of the transmission housing 30 and has a pulley 54 attached which is in alignment with the drive pulley 56 of a reversible motor 58 supported on a plate 60 also secured to the transmission housing 30. A belt 62 drivingly connects the two pulleys. A clutch 64 is also associated with the drive pulley of the motor 58 in a well known manner.

A reversible pump 66 is mounted on the upper end of the motor and drivingly connected thereto. The pump 66 is of well known construction having inlet means 68 communicating with the bottom of the outer tub 18 as through hose 69, and selectively connected to either a drain outlet 70 or a recirculating tube 72 depending upon the direction of rotation of the motor 58. A valve 74 of any well known construction such as a solenoid operated valve is interposed in the recirculating tube 72 to selectively prevent the normal flow of water in that line as desired. Recirculating tube 72 terminates in a nozzle 76 adjacent the upper open end of the inner tub 40. Another hose, not shown, is utilized to initially fill the tub 18 with water from a common household tap as is well known in the art.

The above described center post agitator washing machine generally operates in the following simplified sequence as controlled by a timer (not shown) after the tubs have been initially filled with water and the clothes and a laundering detergent or soap are added.

The motor 58 is driven in a first direction which, through the transmission, provides an oscillating motion to the agitator while the inner tub remains stationary. This first direction also causes the pump 66 to direct the water from the pump inlet 68 through the recirculating line 72. After a certain agitation period the motor is caused to reverse which then causes the transmission to drive both shafts 36 and 38 at relatively high speed causing tub 40 and the clothes therein to spin, centrifuging the water from the clothes and through the openings in tub 40. During this direction of rotation the pump 66 directs the water from the inlet 68 to the drain 70 removing the used water from the outer tub 18. The tub can then be refilled as through the household tap with fresh water and the above agitation and drain sequence repeated as desired. Generally one more filling is provided during which a rinse agent is automatically added as by a dispenser such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,006, previously mentioned, and the clothes are agitated in the presence of the rinse agent before being finally spun.

In a sequence such as described above, wherein the water is recirculated during agitation, it has been common practice to filter the recirculated water such as by directing it through a pan filter mounted on the upper post portion of the agitator structure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the dispenser 78 of the present invention is shown as being mounted on a pan filter 80 of well known construction and which generally comprises a perforated annular bottom wall 82 with an outer vertical wall 84 extending thereabove and an inner vertical wall 86 extending both above and below the bottom wall. The inner wall 86 has an annular resilient material attached to provide a generally tight fit between the filter and the agitator structure and an inwardly extending flange 88 which cooperates with a shoulder 90 on the agitator center post 44 to properly position the filter 80. A liquid rinse agent dispenser 89 of the type previously referred to can also be mounted on the agitator structure 42.

As is seen, the dispenser 78 of the present invention comprises an annular bottom wall 91 having an outer vertical wall 93 extending thereabove and terminating in an outwardly extending annular flange 92. A relatively short, generally vertical inner wall 94 also extends above the bottom wall 91. A partition or baffle means 96 also extends upwardly from the bottom wall 91 at a point between the inner wall 94 and outer wall 93 but in relatively close proximity to the inner wall 94, dividing the space between the inner wall 94 and outer wall 93 into two annular spaces.

The baffle 96 is generally spaced a short distance above the bottom wall 91 as by intermittent extensions 97 to the bottom wall for purposes of attachment only. The height of the space 98 between the bottom wall 91 and the baffle 96 is less than the height of the short inner wall 94 for a reason to be discussed later.

A plurality of short projections 100 (three being sufficient) extend from the outer wall 84 of the dispenser 78 to provide a tight fit between the filter 80 and the dispenser 78 while the flange 92 seats on the upper surface of the outer wall 84 of the filter to properly position the dispenser within the filter pan.

A cover member 102 is also associated with the dispenser and generally comprises a horizontal portion 104 terminating outwardly in a depending lip 106 which cooperates with the flange 92 to properly position the cover on the dispenser. A portion 108 of the cover 102 extends inwardly and downwardly from the horizontal portion 104 and terminates a short distance from baffle 96 at a point below the top of the baffle providing a funneling cooperation between the bafi'le 96 and cover 102 to direct water directed onto the cover 102 into the annular space between the outer wall 93 and the baffle 96.

The annular space between the outer wall 93 and baffle 96 provides a compartment for receiving the granulated or powdered detergent or soap 110 which can be filled to a height above the top of the inner wall 94 by virtue of the baffle 96 preventing the detergent from spilling over the inner wall as long as the space 98 remains below the height of the inner wall. Thus the baffle serves the dual purpose of cooperating with the cover to funnel the water into the dispenser and to provide a storage compartment of greater volume than could be achieved in the dispenser if limited by the height of the inner wall.

It is further made necessary that the inner wall 94 have a height at least that of the top of the opening 98 so the detergent can be stored during a period of agitation without the detergent being sifted through the space 98 and over the wall 94.

The annular space between the baffle 96 and inner wall 94 provides a fluid passage which communicates with the space 98 through which the detergent or soap is flushed when fluidized by directing water onto the dispenser cover.

A second embodiment of the dispenser is shown in FIG. 3 which provides a dispenser and pan filter as a unitary construction. In this embodiment the dispenser and filter are generally divided into three annular spaces the first of which is defined by an imperforate bottom wall 91', an outer annular vertical wall 93 and a partition or baffle 96 which again forms the storage compartment for the detergent or soap. A second annular space is also provided on the imperforate bottom wall 91' between the baffle 96' and a short upstanding median wall 94. As in the previous embodiment, baffle 96' is generally vertically spaced as at 98 from. the bottom wall 91 except for a plurality of attachment points 97 to provide fluid communication between the first annular space and the second annular space and wall 5 94 has a height at least that of space 98' for purposes previously'explained.

The bottom wall 91 between the median wall 94' and the innermost vertical wall 86', which has the same configuration as wall 86 of the filter previously described for attachment to the agitator structure 42 is perforated to permit water and detergent to flow therethrough while filtering and retaining the lint from the recirculating water in a well known manner.

A cover member 102 is provided to generally cover the storage space and cooperate with the baffle 96' to funnel the recirculating water, directed onto the cover, into this space.

Either embodiment above described can be used to automatically dispense a granulated detergent or soap in a center-port agitator washing machine as previously described and having a pre-soak cycle controlled by the timer prior to the actual wash cycle in which the detergent is desired. If the machine had no valve 74, the operator, after inserting the clothes would set the time on the pre-soak cycle and manually add the pre-soak agent. After the machine had gone through an initial agitation, which would be of relatively short duration, and in the order of 4 minutes, the dispenser 78 would be mounted on the center-post and the clothes then left to soak during the quiescent period of the pre-soak cycle of any desired duration as controlled by the timer.

By providing a valve 74 in the recirculating line that is controlled by the timer so that no recirculation is permitted during this initial agitation in the pre-soak cycle but would be open during the remainder of the cycle, the user could, after inserting the clothes and the soak agent to the tub, also mount the dispenser 78 on the agitator structure, fill it with detergent and start the machine, leaving it unattended throughout the complete cycle.

In either instance, the dispenser would not be sub jected to the recirculating water, during the agitation portion of the soak cycle, and since the agitation and spin motion of the agitator do not have any effect on the operation of the dispenser, the dispenser and detergent therein would be properly situated at the end of the soak water extraction cycle to be subjected to the discharge from nozzle 76 of the recirculation water during the agitation portion of the initial wash cycle. In this instance the recirculating water would be directed onto the cover member 102 or 102' and funneled into the annular space containing the powdered detergent which would thereupon dissolve or become sufficiently fluidized to follow the normal flow of the water, as shown by the arrows, through space 98 or 98' into the second annular space and over short wall 94 or 94 to fall to the clothes-containg tub below. It can be seen that the agitating action would be beneficial in also agitatingthe water in the dispenser, increasing its ability to dissolve the detergent or break loose detergent which otherwise might have a tendency to cake.

Thus it is seen that a simple dispenser, preferably a rm molde artic e is provi ed which stores gran 1 ate or pow ered eiergent urmg a pre-soak cyc e and effectively and automatically dispenses the detergent at the proper time during the wash cycle.

What is claimed is:

1. A laundryagent dispenser for an agitator clothes washing machine having a clothes receiving tub and a water discharge means for directing water into said tub at substantially the top thereof, said dispenser comprisannular trough means defined by an imperforate base supporting a pair of spaced generally vertical annular walls, one of said walls being relatively short with respect to the other of said walls; means mounting said trough subadjacent said water discharge means;

annular baffle means interposed between said walls;

attaching means for supporting said baffle means above said base to provide an annular space between said base and said baffle, the distance from said base to the top of said baffle means being greater than the height of said one of said walls and the height of said space being less than said height of said one of said walls; and,

the annular area defined by said imperforate base,

said baffle, and said other of said walls, is openly accessible to water from said water discharge means;

whereby, said laundry agent is generally contained in said annular area and dispensed by fluidizing said agent with water directed into said agent containing area by said discharge means causing said agent to flow through said annular space and over said one of said walls.

2. The dispenser of claim 1 including a removable cover substantially covering said area between said other of said walls and said bafile means and terminating a short distance from said bafile means.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said cover is angled from the horizontal to cooperate with said baffle means to funnel said water from said discharge means into said agent containing area between said baffle and said cover.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said one of said walls is the radially innermost wall of said annular trough means.

5. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein the space between said one of said walls and said baffle means is relatively small in relation to the space between said other of said walls and said baffle means.

6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a filter means supported on said agitator.

7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said annular trough and said filter means are integrally constructed as a unit.

8. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said annular trough and said supporting filter means are readily separable. 

1. A laundry agent dispenser for an agitator clothes washing machine having a clothes receiving tub and a water discharge means for directing water into said tub at substantially the top thereof, said dispenser comprising, annular trough means defined by an imperforate base supporting a pair of spaced generally vertical annular walls, one of said walls being relatively short with respect to the other of said walls; means mounting said trough subadjacent said water discharge means; annular baffle means interposed between said walls; attaching means for supporting said baffle means above said base to provide an annular space between said base and said baffle, the distance from said base to the top of said baffle means being greater than the height of said one of said walls and the height of said space being less than said height of said one of said walls; and, the annular area defined by said imperforate base, said baffle, and said other of said walls, is openly accessible to water from said water discharge means; whereby, said laundry agent is generally contained in said annular area and dispensed by fluidizing said agent with water directed into said agent containing area by said discharge means causing said agent to flow through said annular space and over said one of said walls.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1 including a removable cover substantially covering said area between said other of said walls and said baffle means and terminating a short distance from said baffle means.
 3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said cover is angled from the horizontal to cooperate with said baffle means to funnel said water from said discharge means into said agent containing area between said baffle and said cover.
 4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said one of said walls is the radially innermost wall of said annular trough means.
 5. The dispenser of claim 4 wherein the space between said one of said walls and said baffle means is relatively small in relation to the space between said other of said walls and said baffle means.
 6. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes a filter means supported on said agitator.
 7. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said annular trough and said filter means are integrally constructed as a unit.
 8. The dispenser of claim 6 wherein said annular trough and said supporting filter means are readily separable. 